Thai customs develops mobile app to speed up procedures

Reported by: Customs Today Report November 17, 2015

BANGKOK: The Finance Ministry’s Customs Department is developing a mobile app that will shorten customs clearance procedures for exports and imports to five days from the usual 10.

Department director-general Kulit Sombatsiri said clearance procedures were a focus of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s economic policy after Thailand’s World Bank ranking for ease of doing business dropped to 49th this year from 46th in 2014. Clearance procedures were a significant factor.

The app mainly provides essential information such as customs taxable rates for each goods item as requested by users, as well as coordinate with exporters and importers when processing necessary documents for clearance procedures.

Read more: http://www.customstoday.com.pk/thai-customs-develops-mobile-app-to-speed-up-procedures/

-- Customs Today 2015-11-17

I don't see how the app helps. It just a program showing tax rates. Many customs will still ask for under the table no matter what, most goods are cleared by shipping agents anyways not the end receiver themselves. Shipping agents already know the rates for all items. The only reason why there are delays (aside from paperwork) is that customs don't release the shipment on purpose to get tea money. Or that customs are negotiating with the receiver on the tea money.

Been there done that, nothing much has changed other than customs are actually not demanding or demanding less tea money and asking receivers to pay actual taxes, which is a positive note.

Has this Customs app already been released? I've searched for it on play.google.com and apps.go.th but could not find it.